Audio Guides
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$63
per adult
Big Bus Tours
Big Bus Tours
4
Full view
About
Enjoy the beautiful city of San Francisco on top of an open top, double-decker bus. Experience the diverse culture of the city by visiting the unique neighborhoods including Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, Haight/Ashbury District, Union Square, SoMa, Civic Center, Alamo Square. Journey through Golden Gate Park and cross the infamous Golden Gate Bridge! Hop on and hop off at any of our 16 stops located throughout the city. All tickets include free bike rental and walking tours of North Beach neighborhood and Chinatown. Visit us at our San Francisco Visitor Center at Pier 41 in Fisherman's Wharf.
San Francisco, California
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Big Bus Tours
Bus Tours
3–4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$85
per adult
Audio Guides
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$44
per adult
from
$120
per adult
from
$120
per adult
Travelers talk about
(1,251 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
10,390 reviews
Excellent
5,540
Very good
2,335
Average
1,027
Poor
623
Terrible
867
Roberta d
Rome, Italy552 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
I bought the tickets during the Black Friday on the Expedia website so I paid half the price, about 25 euro, but the tickets are very expensive, 45/ 50 usd.
I think that the right price is mine because we were 3 and with the total of full price we could have done the same thing with Uber.
We took it at Union Square, we immediately went upstairs, you can use the audio guide in your own languages, it’s useful to know the places with more explanations.
We decided to get off the bus in Lombard street, Golden gate, we followed the rest of the tour from the bus.
You can get off and on as you wish, all the tour lasts 2 hours.
I think that the right price is mine because we were 3 and with the total of full price we could have done the same thing with Uber.
We took it at Union Square, we immediately went upstairs, you can use the audio guide in your own languages, it’s useful to know the places with more explanations.
We decided to get off the bus in Lombard street, Golden gate, we followed the rest of the tour from the bus.
You can get off and on as you wish, all the tour lasts 2 hours.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and feedback of Big Bus San Francisco.
Written January 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nathalie B
4 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
This was such a disappointing experience. We waited for over 1 hour on our first stop, 40 minutes on our second stop, and by the time we were picked up at our third stop it was over 5 PM so we had to get off. The only positive thing was the amazing guide on the ride back (Daniel I think?). They only had seats on the top with no roof and it was SO COLD. I asked him jokingly if he had a blanket or a spare jacket, and he gave me his own jacket. I thought he was the driver but it turned out he was the guide, and he also had to be upstairs in the cold! He did an amazing job and made it his own show. He is the only reason I’m giving Big Bus Tours a waaaaay better score than it would have been without him. If you know who this is, give him a raise.
Written January 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and feedback of Big Bus San Francisco. I am sorry to hear you were not able to enjoy the tour and had a long wait in between buses.
On the day of your tour 1/18/20 we had Women's March in San Francisco. Due to street closures we experienced a very heavy traffic as well as delays. Buses were running at least every 30 minutes.
We're glad to hear that you were able to enjoy your tour guide.
We will do our best to improve our services so we can provide you better experience!
We do hope that you will give us another chance in the future. If you have anything further you would like to discuss please contact us directly at SFReservations@BigBusTours.com
Written February 1, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul L
Northwich, UK96 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We spent an amazing almost 3 hours in the company of “Big Bus Blake” and driver Calvin, the tour was hilarious, informative and engaging from start to end. Whether it was Blake singing to passengers on other tour buses that they were on the wrong bus or him giving people team names (we were Manchester on 15/2) so he could bring them into the narration of the tour, I’ve never laughed so much on a city tour.
We’ve done hop on hop off tours in many cities across Europe and the USA but I can honestly say that this one was the best by a long way and that’s pretty much down to Blake’s knowledge of San Fran’s history and his ability to relay that in a humorous style.
We planned to get off in a couple of places but ended up staying on the bus for the full circuit so I can’t comment on the convenience of the stops for the attractions but everything seemed to be close to the stops (except Lombard Street where tour buses are banned) so that would have needed a bit of a walk.
The route itself gives you plenty of opportunity to see the main sights in San Francisco with great opportunities for getting photos of the Golden Gate bridge. Well worth the ticket price and thanks again to Blake and Calvin
We’ve done hop on hop off tours in many cities across Europe and the USA but I can honestly say that this one was the best by a long way and that’s pretty much down to Blake’s knowledge of San Fran’s history and his ability to relay that in a humorous style.
We planned to get off in a couple of places but ended up staying on the bus for the full circuit so I can’t comment on the convenience of the stops for the attractions but everything seemed to be close to the stops (except Lombard Street where tour buses are banned) so that would have needed a bit of a walk.
The route itself gives you plenty of opportunity to see the main sights in San Francisco with great opportunities for getting photos of the Golden Gate bridge. Well worth the ticket price and thanks again to Blake and Calvin
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review of Big Bus San Francisco. I am so glad to hear you were able to enjoy the tour and great team work of tour guide Blake and driver Calvin! We will definitely let them know about your amazing 5 star review you left about them!
We hope to see you in San Francisco again. Thank you for choosing Big Bus.
Written February 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
WILLIAM P
1 contribution
Sep 2020 • Couples
First of all I have to say I have enjoyed Big Bus in other major cities (NYC, Washington, DC and Paris), but San Francisco was NOT a pleasant experience at all! I want to blame this on the pandemic, but have to say the continued dis-satisfaction is due to employees who do not seem willing to assist me as a customer in resolving my issue!
We purchases 2 tickets for the Hop on Hop off bus and downloaded the app. As instructed on the app we went to the closes pickup spot to our hotel. After spending several hours and walking to 2 different stops, we took an Uber to Pier 39 where we informed the buses were NOT picking up at any other stops other than their main location.
By this time I had initiated a refund request. We then walked to the main location and expressed our frustration to 2 employees. The gentleman at this location told us there had been numerous complaints just like ours. He went on to explain the website did NOT have this information noted and the web developer had been contacted but due to it being a weekend this would not be updated until Monday. He told us to request a refund, but for our inconvenience and waste of 3 hours of our limited time in the city, to go ahead and enjoy the 2 hour tour which was not a hop on hop off but a 2 hour ride.
After several attempts to confirm my refund request was in process, I was told I was not eligible for a refund. I requested a supervisor and was told my information was forwarded on and I would be contacted within 21 days! This is NOT acceptable and the reason for my negative review. Please help me recover the money spent on this; I work hard for my money and expect to receive what I pay for!
Thanking you in advance for your assistance.
William Lynn Prestidge
We purchases 2 tickets for the Hop on Hop off bus and downloaded the app. As instructed on the app we went to the closes pickup spot to our hotel. After spending several hours and walking to 2 different stops, we took an Uber to Pier 39 where we informed the buses were NOT picking up at any other stops other than their main location.
By this time I had initiated a refund request. We then walked to the main location and expressed our frustration to 2 employees. The gentleman at this location told us there had been numerous complaints just like ours. He went on to explain the website did NOT have this information noted and the web developer had been contacted but due to it being a weekend this would not be updated until Monday. He told us to request a refund, but for our inconvenience and waste of 3 hours of our limited time in the city, to go ahead and enjoy the 2 hour tour which was not a hop on hop off but a 2 hour ride.
After several attempts to confirm my refund request was in process, I was told I was not eligible for a refund. I requested a supervisor and was told my information was forwarded on and I would be contacted within 21 days! This is NOT acceptable and the reason for my negative review. Please help me recover the money spent on this; I work hard for my money and expect to receive what I pay for!
Thanking you in advance for your assistance.
William Lynn Prestidge
Written September 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trish402016
Melbourne, Australia16 contributions
Dec 2019
OK experience. No live tour guides, just recordings. Then 10 minutes into our trip the transmission for all of the upstairs seats didn't work for the rest of the bus trip, so that was a waste of time, money and our experience. They also need to service the brakes on these buses. I thought they were going to fail at any minute given the noise they were making. With the cost of ticket prices, they could look at maintaining their vehicles a little better. We did get a lovely bus driver in our Sausolito tour who also doubled as a tour guide. He was engaging and informative.
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review of Big Bus San Francisco. We are so sorry to hear you did not enjoy the audio on the bus. Not all of our buses are equipped with a live guide, generally every other departing bus will contain a live guide during winter months. The free Big Bus app, is available to download and it will indicate which buses contain live guides versus pre-recorded commentary. Glad you enjoyed the Sausalito tour, thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours San Francisco.
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tyaya289
Greater London, UK37 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
So disappointed. Couldn’t understand most of what the tour guide was saying as he spoke to fast. English is our first language. Most of the ports you plug your head sets in don’t work and if you happen to be squashed in to the back row you have to fiddle about under someone’s legs to plug in. The buses need a massive overhaul. The seats are very small. We had an atrocious experience with the driver who took the tour from the bridge to Sausalito. He was extremely rude, made up his own timetable and then left before he agreed to. He literally did exactly as he wanted as he said the traffic was too bad and he wasn’t prepared to wait any longer. He gave my husband a choice to either get off the bus or go without the rest of his family. We were using the restrooms at the time and ther was still 10 minutes to go. We ended up paying out even more to get the ferry back as we had no idea if he was coming back or not. This was extreme
expensive at nearly $300. and a total waste of money. We complained to the office at Fisherman’s Wharf’s and we’re promised a refund which despite numerous emails has never transpired and now I’m just not getting any answers from them. Do not use this company it’s an expensive waste of money.
expensive at nearly $300. and a total waste of money. We complained to the office at Fisherman’s Wharf’s and we’re promised a refund which despite numerous emails has never transpired and now I’m just not getting any answers from them. Do not use this company it’s an expensive waste of money.
Written July 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GIGIO82
3 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
We used the bug bus in the first 4 days of our 7 day trip. The big bus took us to the main points of the city with an audio guide. This was the best way to know the city. We also book a trip to muir woods a must!! The forest is magnificent!! Our driver Lester made the trip to the woods a breeze, he was funny and very nice. We took a guided tour by Doug through chinatown, great guide and he was very helpful answering questions, loved all the jokes!, and showing us important landmarks as well as yummy food recommendations. Our final tour with Big Bus was a trip to alcatraz, great trip back in history. Each trip took us half a day but every major museum, tour and attraction closes by 5 pm in winter and 6 pm in summer and spring. Great part of this company is that you can renew your ticket for 15 usd per person before your package expires. All in all I will used them again.
Written November 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We could not ask for a better review, so thank you! We really appreciate your feedback and for recognizing our staff. Most of all, we are happy to hear that you had an amazing experience. We will look forward to seeing you again!
Written November 14, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
james t
1 contribution
Dec 2022 • Couples
My wife and I were in San Francisco for the weekend and Sunday morning we inquired of the Big Bus Tour that was available. We were greeted by an absolute charming, amazing and informative employee that did an outstanding job in not “selling” us the tour, but took her time with informing of us what to expect, recommended stops to venture during the tour and the fact that it gets colder as the night falls. Serenity C did great and all that she said, we took in and enjoyed our Big Bus Tour!!
Written December 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are delighted you enjoyed riding with us to see San Francisco and that Serenity was able to inform you of what to expect or recommend stops to hop-off. We hope you will tour San Francisco with us again!
Written December 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarah C
Essex, UK13 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
Definitely worth it. Learnt so much from the audio tour.
Amar at the Big Bus Depo was great and gave us a discount for another day because the day we went was awful weather.
Amazing to go over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Beautiful views from the other side.
You can hop on and off as much as you want so you get to explore loads of the city.
Recommend this trip to anyone.
Amar at the Big Bus Depo was great and gave us a discount for another day because the day we went was awful weather.
Amazing to go over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Beautiful views from the other side.
You can hop on and off as much as you want so you get to explore loads of the city.
Recommend this trip to anyone.
Written November 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review and feedback! Amar is amazing! Please try Big Bus at any of our other cities.
Written November 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
theoraclesboy
Fort William, UK499 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
Arrived in San Francisco at 8am , transfer to hotel, checked in with Big Bus Tours and we are off. Great tour, taking us all over the city including the Golden Gate Bridge, we had to keep moving as we were heading back to the UK the next afternoon. Highly recommend this tour it is loaded with quality and interesting information from the driver and the recorded information as we drive along.
Written July 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NCVienna
Belfast, UK1,109 contributions
Hi, we've got our standard tickets booked (booked and paid for them a couple of months ago, due to go later this month) but I don't see an inclusion of the 1-hour walking tour in Chinatown which was advertised when we booked the tickets. Is it no longer included?
Didn't get confirmation email
BigBusToursUSA
New York City, NY1 contribution
Hello, what was the name of the booking under?
Thyme S
Lake Worth, FL
Are children allowed on the tour? I am booking and the only option for tickets is Adult 16+.
BigBusToursUSA
New York City, NY1 contribution
Hello! What ticket or tour are you asking about? Thank you!
vdg1
Saint Cloud, FL3 contributions
Are the Big Bus Tours running now? I’ve seen conflicting info. Already have tickets booked for July 2, but don’t know if the Busses are running??
tyaya289
Greater London, UK37 contributions
Do not book with them. If anything goes wrong you will never get your money and will waste huge amounts of time trying!
Debbie from England
24 contributions
Does anyone know if the big bus Alcatraz and hop on hop off bus with virgin holidays tour has to be done in one day?
No you don't have to do it in one day. Your Alcatraz tour is going to be scheduled for a specific day and time, so you have to do it on that day, but hop on hop off portion of your ticket is more flexible. You can come back and do the bus on a different day from you Alcatraz.
Bonjour,
Je souhaiterais des précisions :
Pouvons descendre à n'importe quel arrêt, profiter de l'endroit puis remonter dans un autre bus pour reprendre le circuit?
Si oui quels sont les délais d'attente entre deux bus à un arrêt?
Comment nous signale t-on les arrêts?
Cordialement
Mélanie D
Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France72 contributions
Bonjour tout a fait ! On monte on descend on visite on remonte quand on veut. Quand a la fréquence c souvent je dirai moins de 15 min de memoire. Les arrets sont signales par un panneau on s y retrouve bien avec la carte qu ils nous fournissent
Sharon
Singapore, Singapore104 contributions
Hi I’ve purchased the Go SF card. When taking HOHO bus, do I need to change for boarding pass or can I used the mobile code? If there’s s need, where do I change the pass? I will be boarding at Union Square #6. Thank you.
Yes, You will be able to get on the bus at Union Square (Stop 5)
dazzy83
Bisceglie, Italy137 contributions
Ciao! Volevo sapere se i biglietti possono essere convertiti in ogni fermata o solo a San Francisco Visitor Center?
Uovodiquaglia
Vigevano, Italy76 contributions
Ciao, i biglietti, anche se acquistati on Line, vanno sempre formalizzati presso il loro sede, alle fermate non ci sono uffici preposti. Ti consiglio di scaricare app molto utile, con tutte le spiegazioni dettagliate.
Big Bus Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
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